


we'll brush up on bad habits

by superhoney



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Angst and Porn, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Castiel, Bottom Dean, Dean is Bad at Feelings, Friends With Benefits, Frottage, Grad Student Castiel, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mechanic Dean, Porn with Feelings, Rimming, Top Castiel, Top Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:49:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7061068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superhoney/pseuds/superhoney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel met on Sam's first day at Stanford, three years ago. They've been hooking up whenever Dean's in town ever since. But this is going to be the last time, Dean tells himself. He can't do this anymore. It's too much and not enough. But then again, that's what he said last time, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll brush up on bad habits

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I can't stay away.
> 
> Title from Anais, by Jimmy Eat World.

This is the last time, Dean promises himself as he knocks on the door to Castiel’s apartment. After this, he won’t call. Won’t text. Won’t send random pictures in the middle of the night. Won’t show up here every few months, desperate and wanting.

He made the same vows the last time. And the time before that. Yet here he is, back at Cas’ door again. It swings open, and Cas greets him with a blinding smile, reaching out to pull him into a close embrace. Dean surrenders to it. One last time. This time he means it.

\----------

_Three years earlier_

Dean held the door of the elevator open for a pile of freshmen, all of whom were carrying boxes full of crap they probably didn’t need. This dorm was sweet. Sam was going to be living the high life. He got off at the fourth floor and made his way down the hall, entering the spacious room with the names ‘Sam’ and ‘Andy’ tacked onto the door.

His younger brother looked up from where he was organizing books on the small bookcase along the far wall. “Is that the last of it?” Sam asked.

“Yep,” Dean replied, throwing himself down on the bed.

“Dude,” Sam said, nudging his foot. “That’s Andy’s bed. The other one’s mine.”

Dean groaned, but stood up. He could have just dropped onto the other mattress, but now that he was standing again, he felt he should stay that way. “Is it time for pizza now?” he asked. This whole moving-in process had made him hungry.

“Gimme a minute to finish this, then we can go,” Sam replied.

Dean wandered over to the window and looked out over the Stanford campus. There were fresh-faced college kids everywhere, parents running around after them. Move-in day was chaos. Dean was glad it only happened once, though at the end of the year, moving out would probably be equally bad.

A light tap on the open door interrupted his thoughts. Dean turned around to see a guy about his age, with dark hair and slight stubble on his jaw. “Hello,” the guy said, in a surprisingly deep voice. “Sam and Andy, right? I’m Cas, the RA for this floor.”

Sam stood up from where he was crouched in front of the bookcase. “Nice to meet you,” he said, extending a hand to Cas. “I’m Sam, but that’s actually my brother Dean. He’s helping move me in.”

“Hey,” Dean said, as casually as he could manage. Now that he had gotten a better look, he could see that Cas was incredibly attractive. His eyes were a ridiculous shade of blue, and his forearms made Dean want to weep.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas said. “Are you a student here as well?”

“Nah,” Dean replied. “College wasn’t in the cards for me. I’m a mechanic, back in Sioux Falls. Just had to make sure Sammy here got settled in okay.”

“Mostly he wanted the excuse for a road trip,” Sam said.

“That’s quite the drive,” Cas commented.

“Yeah, well, it was nice to have the time together before Sam disappears into books and parties, right Sammy?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Maybe the books part.”

“Nice to see that you take your studies seriously,” Cas said, a faint grin on his face. “Most freshmen aren’t that dedicated.”

“I’m here on scholarship, so I’ve got to work hard to maintain it.”

Dean could feel his stomach rumbling. As much as he would have liked a reason to keep staring at Cas, he needed pizza. Now.

“Hey, we were just gonna go grab something to eat,” Dean interrupted. “You wanna join us, Cas?”

“I’d love to,” Cas said, “but I’m technically on duty right now. I have to be available for the other incoming students. Can’t be playing favourites this early in the year,” he winked.

Dean liked the look of that wink. He liked the kind of things it suggested. He answered it with a slow shake of his head, lips twisted into a pout. Bingo. He saw how Cas’ eyes dropped to his mouth.

“That’s too bad,” Sam said, oblivious to the way Cas and Dean were reconsidering each other in light of this small, unspoken conversation. “Good to meet you, though, Cas! See you soon.”

“You too, Sam,” Cas said distractedly. “And you, Dean.”

“Maybe we’ll run into each other again before I have to leave,” Dean said.

“I hope so,” Cas said. He cast one last look at Dean across the room, then left the room, presumably to go meet some of his other charges.

“What was that all about?” Sam said, apparently not entirely oblivious. “Are you hitting on my RA, Dean?”

“He started it,” Dean muttered under his breath.

“You’re unbelievable,” Sam said, but he sounded more fond than exasperated. “Whatever. Just make sure he knows that it’s a one-time thing, with you living in Sioux Falls and all. I don’t want you to break his heart and then have to listen to him playing emo music in his room at all hours.”

“I promise not to break his heart,” Dean said. “But speaking of, do you know where his room is?”

They found Cas’ room at the other end of the hall as they left to get pizza. The door was closed, but there was a small sign with his cell number listed on it, saying it was for emergency use only. There was also an envelope stuffed with condoms taped to the door. It said ‘Free Condoms’ across it, followed by a giant smiley face. Dean laughed.

“That’s trusting,” he commented. “He must get drunk idiots texting him or prank-calling him in the middle of the night.”

“Probably,” Sam agreed, “but why are we here again?”

Dean debated just taking down Cas’ number and texting him himself, but that didn’t feel right, even if it was posted right there for anyone to find. Instead, he tore a corner off the sign. Sam sighed but produced a pen from his bag for Dean to write with. Dean grinned at him and wrote his name and number on the scrap of paper, then stuck it in under the door.

“Mission accomplished,” he announced. “On to the next one: food.”

\------------

_Now_

“It’s so good to see you,” Cas mumbles, his face buried in Dean’s chest. One of Dean’s hands comes up to lightly stroke through his dark hair. “It’s been a long time. I wasn’t sure if you were coming back, or if you had, and you just hadn’t called me.”

“I haven’t been back,” Dean admits. “It’s been busy at the shop, so Bobby hasn’t been able to give me as much time off. And then Sam’s schedule has been all over the place, or he’s had plans with Jess.”

Cas pulls back so that he can look Dean in the eyes. “How long are you staying this time?”

“Three more nights. I got in yesterday, but I spent the evening hanging out with Sam and Jess. Sorry I didn’t call until today.”

Dean won’t tell Cas that he hadn’t planned to call at all. That he hadn’t intended to see him on this trip. That he was trying to get him out of his system, and failing miserably. Cas looks too happy to have him here. Dean can’t bring himself to hurt him. Not yet. It’s selfish, but he wants one more perfect night.

And with the way Cas is looking at him, Dean is pretty sure he’s going to get it.

They’ve been doing this for three years now, ever since that first day they met in Sam’s dorm room. Cas had called Dean later that night, a little bit surprised to have found Dean’s number under his door, but eager to see him. They’d fucked in Cas’ narrow bed, then again in his private shower the next morning. Cas had kissed him goodbye sweetly before Dean left to make the long drive back to Sioux Falls, but somehow, they hadn’t managed to leave it at that. The next time Dean was in town, picking Sam up for the Christmas break, he’d sent Cas a nude pic, and gotten an invitation to come over in response.

And so it went, for three years. Every time Dean is in town visiting Sam, he meets up with Cas, and they have marathon sex every night of the visit. But they never go out anywhere, only moving from Cas’ room in the dorms to his small apartment once he started his PhD and could afford better housing. They aren’t dating. They aren’t together. They live hours apart, for god’s sake. They just meet up and fuck a couple of times a year. They never talk about it being more than that, because it can’t be.

Except that Dean wants it to be, and sometimes he thinks Cas does too. Like right now, with Cas kissing him so affectionately, their bodies familiar to each other after all this time. Cas pulls him towards the bedroom, and Dean follows eagerly. It’s been a long time. The longest they’ve been apart, just over six months. Dean hasn’t been with anyone else in that time. He used to hook up with other people, just to scratch the itch, but lately he hasn’t been able to summon an interest in anyone who isn’t Cas. He refuses to think about whether or not Cas has been showing the same restraint. It doesn’t matter anyways. They’re together now.

Cas gently pushes Dean down onto his bed, much bigger than the one they shared the first time they were together. He crawls on top of him, pressing his hips into Dean’s, letting him feel the hard line of his cock pressing against his jeans. It makes Dean shudder with want, rolling his hips forward to let his own hardening cock rub against Cas’ leg. He needs to make it good for Cas. This is the last time, after all. Or the last night, anyways. Dean thinks they can probably fit a few rounds in, which is good, because he wants each of them to get a turn getting fucked tonight.

Dean tugs at Cas’ shirt, pulling it over his head, making his hair stand up in all directions. It looks good like that. Cas smiles down at him and slowly unbuttons Dean’s shirt, then takes it off him completely, running his hand over the pentagram tattooed on Dean’s chest. Cas places a gentle kiss there, right over Dean’s heart, and Dean feels it all the way down to his bones. He shudders and grabs Cas’ hips, pulling them flush against each other, loving the way it feels when they get the angle just right and their cocks rub together through their jeans.

Cas kisses a trail down Dean’s stomach, sucking a mark right above the waist of his pants, then unbuttons them slowly. Dean lifts his hips to help him get them off, and Cas follows suit. Once they’re both down to just boxers, Cas gets right back into it, mouthing over Dean’s cock through the thin fabric. Dean moans, letting his legs fall open, shameless in his want. Cas chuckles darkly and drags Dean’s boxers off as well, leaving him completely naked.

“You’re beautiful,” Cas says, and there’s reverence in his voice. Dean closes his eyes, tries not to look at him, because he knows what he’ll see on Cas’ face, and it’ll just make things worse.

“I always forget. How gorgeous you are. And then you come back and it’s like a shock,” Cas says, tracing abstract patterns on Dean’s thigh with his fingertips. “I wish I didn’t have to forget.”

“Cas,” Dean pleads. He’s trying to tell him to stop, not to say those perfect sweet words, but Cas interprets it as a demand for more. He lowers his mouth and licks along Dean’s shaft, and Dean’s thoughts fly right out the window. He can’t focus on anything other than this, the wet warmth of Cas’ mouth around him. Cas lavishes attention on him, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around the base of Dean’s dick as he bobs his head up and down. He knows exactly how to make Dean fall apart.

Just when Dean’s starting to get close, Cas pulls off. Dean whines, a needy sound that makes Cas laugh again. “Don’t worry, Dean,” he says. “I’m going to take good care of you, I promise.”

Cas swiftly lowers his head again, but this time, he bypasses Dean’s dick and licks right over his hole. Dean makes an unholy noise and spreads his legs further apart, encouraging Cas to keep going. He loves it when they do this, loves how intimate it is. No one else has ever done this for Dean. Only Cas. And he’s damn good at it, working Dean open with his tongue, licking at him steadily like he’d be happy to do nothing else for the rest of his life. As Dean’s body starts to relax, Cas gently nudges a finger inside of him, working it in and out steadily as he continues to flick his tongue against his opening.

“More,” Dean gasps. This is good, it’s so fucking good, but he needs to feel Cas inside of him. “Cas, please.”

Cas slides another finger inside of him, and Dean sighs happily. There’s a slight stretch, but it’s just a promise of good things to come. Cas’ fingers find his sweet spot, and Dean shudders around him. Cas repeats the motion, applying a bit more pressure, and Dean feels like he’s going to explode. “I’m ready,” he says. “I need you, Cas.”

He won’t think about all the ways in which that statement is true.

Cas kisses him, distracting Dean from how empty he feels when Cas slides his fingers out of him. There’s a brief pause of Cas rummages in the bedside table and rolls on a condom, and then he’s back. Dean closes his eyes and listens to the sound of Cas slicking himself up, and then he feels the head of Cas’ cock pressing at him, then slipping inside. He exhales. Cas is inside of him, and it feels so overwhelmingly right.

“You feel perfect,” Cas says, echoing Dean’s thoughts. “God, I missed this.”

“Yeah,” Dean says shakily. “Yeah, me too.”

Cas brushes his lips against Dean’s and starts to move. They’ve fucked in every position imaginable, and Dean likes all of them, but right now this just feels amazing, with the way he’s flat on his back and Cas is thrusting into him, looking down into his face as he does. There’s something charged about it, something that Dean has never felt before, no matter how great the sex had been until now. Maybe it’s the time in between. Or maybe it’s the feelings that Dean won’t give voice to.

They’re moving together now, bodies working in a steady rhythm, chasing their combined pleasure. Cas is all over him, running his hands over Dean’s body, whispering praise into his ears. Combined with the sensation of Cas’ thick cock filling him up, it’s the best thing Dean has ever felt. He’s getting close, and he isn’t even touching his cock. He wonders if he can come just like this.

Cas must be wondering the same thing, because he presses in even closer, trapping Dean’s cock between their bodies. “Do you think you can come for me, Dean?” he asks. “I want to see it.”

Dean groans, rolling his hips forward. “Yeah, Cas,” he chokes out. “Fuck, I’m close.”

“Come for me. Please, Dean.”

Something about the way Cas says his name is enough to tip Dean over the edge. He throws his head back and comes, untouched, spilling over his own stomach. Cas moans at the sight, his hips stuttering as he nears his own climax. “You too, Cas,” Dean says raggedly. “Wanna feel it. Wanna feel you come inside me.”

Cas makes a low noise and stiffens. He spills into the condom, and Dean allows himself to wonder what it would feel like if they didn’t need that barrier between them, how hot it would be for Cas to come inside him. But that will never happen, because that kind of intimacy is reserved for people in actual relationships, not whatever this is between the two of them.

Cas pulls out of him with a grimace, removing the condom and throwing it into the wastebasket, then handing Dean a tissue to wipe himself down with. Once they’re both cleaned up, they pull their underwear back on, and curl up together in the bed, Cas pressed in close behind Dean with one arm over his waist.

“Did you have a good drive down?” he asks sleepily.

There’s this, too. If it was just the sex, Dean would be happy to keep seeing Cas every time he comes to visit Sam. But that’s the problem. It isn’t just about the sex. It hasn’t been for a long time. They text almost every day. Cas is one of Dean’s closest friends. Who he sleeps with whenever he’s in California.

“Yeah,” Dean says. “Took a different route for a change. Added on a few hours, but it was worth it. No matter how much I drive across this country, I still find places I haven’t seen before. It’s pretty cool.”

“Hmmnn,” Cas says. Dean can tell he’s practically asleep. There’s not much point continuing their conversation now, so Dean just tugs Cas a little closer and lets them both drift off to sleep.

In the morning, Dean wakes to Cas rutting against his back, the hard line of his dick pressed right up against him. Dean rolls back into it, shameless, but then he flips them over so that Cas is pinned beneath him.

“Good morning,” he says, still bleary-eyed, but his dick’s ready to go.

“Good morning,” Cas replies. “I think you should fuck me.”

Dean laughs and grinds down against him, making Cas gasp. “I can do that,” he says. “Like this?”

Cas debates this for a second, then shakes his head. “No,” he says. “In the shower. I know you have to go soon, I’m sure you and Sam have plans.”

Is that a trace of wistfulness in Cas’ voice? A slight hope that maybe Dean will stay, that they’ll spend time together in daylight for once? It doesn’t matter, Dean tells himself. This is it. The last time. He’ll make it good for Cas, he’ll smile and kiss him with everything he’s got, and then he’ll leave. He won’t say goodbye, he’ll say see you again soon. Cas will think he means that night, because that’s how it always goes. Dean comes to visit Sam but he spends all his nights with Cas. Not this time.

They fuck in the shower, Cas facing the wall with Dean thrusting into him from behind. Cas is beautiful like this, water dripping down from his strong shoulders, Dean’s hands gripping his thickly muscled thighs as he pounds into him. He reaches around to stroke Cas’ cock and Cas comes, shooting all over the tiles, and Dean follows quickly after him.

They finish their shower in comfortable silence, but when they’re dressed and Dean is ready to leave, he can’t summon the detachment he needs. He kisses Cas greedily, which makes the other man smile.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Cas says, practically pushing him out the door. “Go see your brother. Enjoy the sunshine, I know you haven’t been getting a lot of it at home.”

Dean holds Cas close and drops a kiss on his forehead. “Okay, Cas,” he says, then steals one last lingering kiss. Cas waves goodbye to him from the doorway of his apartment, and then Dean’s gone.

That should be the end.

But of course, it isn’t.

Dean’s distracted all day, and Sam can tell. Sam knows about the whole thing between Dean and Cas, he’s been there since day one. He doesn’t really approve of it, not because of some moral judgment, but because he knows Dean isn’t happy. He’s said as much to Dean, several times over the years.

“What’s up with you?” Sam asks as they’re sipping beers on a patio at some trendy cafe. “I thought you’d be in a better mood, considering you got laid last night.”

“Don’t talk about it like that,” Dean snaps, and immediately regrets it when he sees the look on Sam’s face. “Shit. I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“So what did you mean it like?” Sam says carefully.

Dean exhales noisily. “I don’t think I should see Cas anymore. I’m not going to. Last night was it.”

“That sucks. How’d he take it?”

“I, uh, didn’t tell him,” Dean says quietly. Ashamed.

Sam gives him one of his best bitchfaces. “What, you’re just gonna ignore his calls? Not show up tonight, let him worry that you’re passed out in a ditch somewhere?”

“Seemed easier than telling him it’s over,” Dean mutters.

“For you, maybe,” Sam points out. Always the reasonable one. “You get tired of him or what?”

  
“That’s the problem, Sam,” Dean says. “It’s the opposite of that. I’ve got feelings for him. Big ones. Deep ones. I haven’t even hooked up with anyone else since the last time I was here. But I don’t think I can do the long-distance thing, so I’ve gotta cut him out. I can’t keep having just a bit of him.”

Sam takes a sip of his beer, considering his next words. “You don’t have to do the long-distance thing,” he says.

“I’m not going to ask him to move to Sioux Falls. He’s still got two years left in his PhD, at least.”

“So move here,” Sam says simply. As if it’s just that easy. “You love it here, I know you do. You can work anywhere, Dean. Fix up all these snooty kids’ cars. You’ll have plenty of work and plenty to complain about. And you can be with Cas. And we can see each other more than two or three times a year.

Dean’s thought about it. Of course he has. But Sioux Falls has been home for so long, and it’s safe. Living and working with Bobby has been a refuge since Dean’s dad passed away. He’s got friends there, and he likes the town.

But Sam’s also right. He does like California. He can work anywhere. People’s cars always need to be fixed. Sam and Jess are talking about getting married soon, and it would be much easier if Dean was nearby to help them get ready. Maybe they’ll have kids soon. He’d like to be an uncle.

And Cas is here. They could be together in every sense of the word. Dean wants that so badly he could cry. But it’s a huge decision. And he isn’t completely sure that it’s what Cas wants. He’s always been affectionate, always happy to see Dean, but he’s never asked for more either. What if he’s happy with things the way they are, and wouldn’t want to be with Dean even if they lived in the same place? Dean doesn’t think he could bear that, living here, running into Cas at the grocery store or fixing his shitty pimp car, pretending they never meant anything to each other.

“Tell me you’ll at least think about it,” Sam says.

“I’ll think about it,” Dean says, draining the last of his beer.

And he does. He thinks about it all through that day and that night, staring at the increasingly frantic texts from Cas, the missed calls, the voicemails. He should probably at least acknowledge them, so Cas doesn’t think he’s dead, but he knows just hearing that voice will influence his decision. So he stays silent. He ignores Cas’ attempts at communication, and by the time he leaves, Cas has stopped trying. Maybe he got the hint. He’s a smart guy, after all.

Dean drives home, still thinking about it. He talks to Bobby, who listens to the whole story without interrupting. Bobby’s good like that. Dependable. When Dean’s finished, he looks at the man who was a better father to him than his own ever was, and says, “Well?”

  
“Boy, you know what you need to do,” Bobby says gruffly. “You just don’t think you deserve to have it. I’m telling you, you do. You made the drive to see Sam all these years, you can make the drive to see me and Jo and everyone else here. Your heart’s in California, Dean. Go catch up to it.”

Something snaps into place with those words. His heart is in California. It’s in Cas’ hands, and he doesn’t even know it. “Thanks, Bobby,” Dean says.

“Idjit,” Bobby says fondly.

It only takes a few days for Dean to pack up everything he needs. He calls Sam and tells him he needs a place to crash until he gets things figured out. Sam is thrilled, of course. He promises to talk to a friend of his who has a cousin with an auto shop in town. Maybe they can work something out for Dean.

Dean drives back to California, still thinking about Cas. He probably ruined his chances, ignoring him the way he did. But he needs to try anyways. He owes it to himself. And at the very least, he owes Cas an apology. So that’s the first place he goes when gets to town. He doesn’t go drop off his stuff at Sam’s, or stop to grab something to eat. He goes right to Cas.

Dean takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. Maybe he should have brought flowers. He fidgets nervously with the silver ring on his finger, and then the door is opening, and Cas is staring at him like he’s seeing a ghost.

“Hi,” Dean says weakly. “Can we talk?”

Cas closes his eyes and inhales sharply. He doesn’t say anything, but he steps back to let Dean into the apartment. Dean takes a seat on the couch, and Cas sits beside him, but with a gap between them. Dean doesn’t blame him.

“I thought I couldn’t do this anymore,” Dean says. “I’ve tried to break it off before, kept telling myself it couldn’t happen again, but I could never follow through.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Cas asks. He’s keeping his emotions in check. His tone is carefully neutral. It hurts to hear it.

“I thought I was letting you down easy,” Dean admits.

“I can handle rejection,” Cas says tightly. “If you didn’t want to see me anymore, you should have just said so. Is there someone else? Someone at home?”

Dean’s doing this all wrong. “No!” he exclaims. “God, no, Cas, that’s not what I’m saying. I didn’t want to stop because I didn’t want you. I wanted to stop because I want you too much.”

  
Cas looks at him, confusion on his face. “What do you mean?” he says.

This is it. Dean can do this. He has to. “It’s not just about the sex for me, Cas,” he says. “It hasn’t been for a long time. I have feelings for you.”

There’s a glimmer of hope dawning in Cas’ eyes. It’s beautiful to see. “Then why did you leave me like that? Dean, I was so worried about you. I thought something happened to you.”

“I’m a coward. I couldn’t look you in the eyes and tell you what I felt, so I ran.”

“But you’re telling me now.”

“Things are different now,” Dean says. “I’m moving here. I won’t have to leave after a few days. I know I hurt you, Cas. But I’ve thought about it a lot, and I want to be with you. For real. If you can forgive me.”

Cas looks down at his hands. Dean gives him time to think. Lord knows he needed plenty of it himself.

“I’m still angry with you,” Cas says, lifting his head. “It was very inconsiderate of you to not even text me once, saying you were okay. You could have kept ignoring me after that.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean says, wincing. He’s a prize jackass.

“And you shouldn’t have assumed you were the only one in over your head,” Cas continues. “I’ve been falling for you since that very first night, Dean. But I never wanted to ask you for more than you could give. I didn’t want to monopolize your time. So I took what I could get, which was a few nights every few months. And it was enough, until it wasn’t.”

“And now?” Dean asks. The moment of truth.

“Now I’d like you to kiss me,” Cas says. “And promise me that you will never treat me that way again.”

“I promise,” Dean says fervently. “I promise, Cas. I’ll be better.”

“Okay,” Cas says, and when he smiles it’s like the sun coming out.

Dean shifts closer on the couch and kisses that smile. He licks his way into Cas’ mouth and makes apologies and promises he intends to keep this time around. He buries his hands in Cas’ hair and vows to never let him go.

They’re both hard in their pants, and their hands are everywhere, greedy for the feeling of skin under their fingers. They rut against each other, kissing sloppily, as Cas murmurs Dean’s name over and over again. Dean can’t speak anymore. He just keeps kissing Cas, and when Cas comes, he swallows his cries and makes wordless sounds of his own, following him into bliss.

They hold each in the aftermath, heedless of the mess in their pants. Dean kisses Cas’ flushed face, and finds his voice again, whispering nonsense into his ears. Cas smiles and snuggles in closer to Dean, fitting perfectly into his arms.

“Oh,” Cas says, lifting his head to look at Dean, “there’s one other condition.”

Dean will do anything. Whatever Cas wants.

“Yeah, babe?” he says. The first time he’s let the endearment slip past his lips. Cas notices it, and blushes.

“You have to take me on a real date,” Cas says solemnly. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. But I want to hold your hand in public. I want people to look over and be jealous of my sexy mechanic boyfriend, who’s going to have a California tan very soon, and whose freckles I’m going to count every night when we go to bed.”

Dean’s overflowing with happiness. “Okay,” he says. “I can do that. For you.”

“For us,” Cas corrects.

Dean likes the sound of that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading, as always. Come hang out with me on tumblr http://pomegranatedaffodil.tumblr.com/


End file.
